More on Arafat’s Embezzlement

PA finance minister Salam Fayyad “is really trying very hard,” says Matthew Levitt, a former FBI analyst who tracks terrorism. “However, (his) best efforts can only be successful as they pertain to the PA’s funds. He has no jurisdiction over PLO funds, Fatah (Arafat’s political party) funds, or any funds that have been diverted to Yasser Arafat’s (or his associates’) personal accounts.”

Controlling the PA’s money is critical both to Arafat’s ability to lead and also to maintain his position as titular head of the PA. As Danny Rubinstein – an authority on Arafat writes “Arafat has continued in the new [Palestinian] Authority, as in the old PLO days, to see money as the source of power, signing checks alone and keeping the secrets of the budget to himself.